Institutional and Actor Network Perspectives of Waste Management in Australia: Is the Construction Industry Prepared for a Circular Economy?

Benson Teck Heng Lim, Bee Lan Oo (), Charlie McLeod and Pengqi Yang
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Benson Teck Heng Lim: School of Built Environment, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
Bee Lan Oo: School of Built Environment, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
Charlie McLeod: School of Built Environment, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
Pengqi Yang: School of Built Environment, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 2, 1-21

Abstract: Waste management and minimization are touted to be two of the key drivers for greening the construction industry and a pathway to a circular economy. This research aims to revisit the attitudes and perceptions of project stakeholders towards construction and demolition (C&D) waste in the Australian construction industry and ascertain if the current state of play in construction would facilitate the transition to a circular economy. Statistical analysis was performed on an online survey dataset collected from 104 professionals within the Australian construction supply chain. The results reveal that construction professionals’ attitudes and perceptions to C&D waste could be classified into normative, regulatory and cultural cognitive drivers. Also, the perceived barriers and strategies of C&D waste management vary across design consultants and principal and sub-contractors. Overall, the evidence is suggestive that the Australian construction industry seems not fully ready for a circular economy. In terms of research implications, clearer guidelines and mandatory approaches to C&D waste management, involving a balance of incentivization and dis-incentivization actions, and close and stronger collaborations between the industry and government, are deemed necessary for better C&D waste management performance and the realization of a greener industry.

Keywords: actor network; circular economy; construction and demolition waste; institutional theory; supply chain management; waste management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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